Vilma Espín Guillois

Vilma Espín Guillois (born April 7, 1930, Santiago, Cuba—died June 18, 2007, Havana) was a Cuban revolutionary and women’s rights activist. As the wife of Raúl Castro, the younger brother of longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro, she was for decades regarded as the unofficial first lady of Cuba and was the most politically powerful woman in the country.

Espín fought alongside Raúl and Fidel during the 1959 Cuban Revolution and married Raúl shortly after the overthrow of the regime of Fulgencio Batista. Because Fidel was divorced at the time he came to power, Espín assumed the first lady’s responsibilities, and she continued to fulfill the role even after her brother-in-law remarried. She went on to hold key positions in the Cuban Communist Party and was a member of the country’s influential Council of State. She also founded the Cuban Federation of Women and oversaw its development into a national organization for women’s rights. Espín frequently represented Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly. She officially became first lady in 2006 after an ailing Fidel ceded power to Raúl, who assumed the title of acting president.